Moses Campbell

Moses Campbell closed out the festivities, playing their kickoff show before a little tour up and down the coast.

I'd seen these annoyingly young pop geniuses a couple of times before--once at the Silver Lake Jubilee, once at the Echoplex (opening for Avi Buffalo and, uh, Angus Khan) (seriously)--but nothing prepared me for the type of show that they can put on when they're in their element.

That shit was a party, dude. No joke. I don't remember the last time I saw a performance of such concentrated exuberance. Possibly never.

Describing the music seems more irrelevant than usual. Just go see them. Trust me. If you don't, I won't like you anymore. And I really, really like you, so that would make me sad.

If you must know, on their addictive album Who Are You? Who Is Anyone?, you'll find an immensely appealing pop melange of all the familiar elements, along with lovingly abused acoustic guitars, accordions, violins.

But live, on the right night, with the right crowd, you'll experience an explosion of sound and glory, one that envelopes the mass of bodies in the audience, which move up and down and side to side simultaneously. Or at least that's how it was last night. And I get the impression that it's a regular deal.

Singer Sean Solomon's voice, rising madly atop his band's joyous mountain of noise, encapsulated the evening precisely: Desperate, playful, shrieking perfection.

Wish you were there. - The 704

Teenage wunderkinds Moses Campbell — it’s a six-piece band, not some grizzled folk singer that the name might conjure up — seem to have bottled up the exuberance of youth and the dreariness of aging on one calamitous album. “Who Are You? Who Is Anyone?” (just out on the Smell’s olFactory Records) embraces the present as only kids can but also reinforces the notion that the best way to eye the future is to cast wary glances over one’s shoulder. Singer-guitarist Sean Solomon’s woozy tenor is perfect for such musings, and the sextet (including Pascal Stevenson, Miles Wintner, Daniela Jiminez, Pauline Lay and Andrew MacKelvie) frames them in bursts of unvarnished garage-pop, frayed folk and caffeine-spiked freakouts. You might have heard some of these chords before, but as playdough in the cherubic hands of Moses Campbell, it’s fun to see what shapes they can become. - Buzz Bands LA

Moses Cambell started off an early set. This powerhouse sextet of young Indie blood blasted pure bliss from their instruments. They combine a eclectic mix of folk/pop/punk and give it an LA Eastsider twist. Vocals reminicant of Frank Black and snappy pop melodies with folky lyrics and heart make for incredibley enjoyable songs that stick to your ribs and fill your soul.

This youthful essembly provides an intruiging infusion of experimental sounds within the confines of their folk/pop/Indie vibes. Trying to explore sound and creatively intertwining new and old musical arrangements is what makes listening to this group extremely fascinating. - Examiner

The band recently released a full length album “Who Are You? Who Is Anyone?” on the Smell’s olFactory Records and have been steadily playing Los Angeles all ages spaces, coffee shops, art galleries, libraries, backyards, city parks, house parties for the better part of the year.

I have had the privilege of playing with them several times. Their folk tunes are performed with all the fervor and energy you’d expect from the usual noise-punk associated with the Smell scene. What sets Moses Campbell apart is a strong foundation in melody and some of the catchiest songs I’ve heard in recent memory. There is a spirit behind what they do. Music played with a sense of glee and fun. You can tell they are all so grateful and excited to just be playing music.

The band are heading off on a little west coast tour this week. Dates for their upcoming tour and be found below. Be sure to order a copy of their debut LP right here. Los Angeles readers’ be sure to check them out on the FOLD stage August 21st at this year’s Sunset Junction festival.

- Rock Insider

In the past couple of years, locals Moses Campbell have accomplished way more than the average L.A-based indie band. With a fraction of their members fresh out of high school, the local sextet has gone on multiple tours, played various local and national festivals, and has even gotten glowing reviews from publications such as the Los Angeles Times. Their dedicated fanbase surpasses any age demographic and their stage presence is both mature, yet electrifyingly filled with youthful bravado.

Moses Campbell may quite possibly be one of the hardest working bands in L.A, yet by their attitudes alone, you would never have guessed it. The group is humble and while they are destined for even greater things, Moses Campbell evoke a certain charm and humility that tend to fade when artists are subjected to such growing success. The band released their debut album "Who are you? Who is anyone?" via OlFactory Records (a subsidiary of the all-ages venue The Smell) on CD earlier this year and will be celebrating the release of it's 12-inch vinyl counterpart tomorrow night at the Smell with Voice on Tape, Pangea, Watercolor Paintings, and Splinter Cake. The show will also celebrate lead singer/guitarist Sean Solomon's birthday.

Moses Campbell are the type of band you could easily see causing an all-out punk freak-out at your best friend's house, but can still manage to hold their own alongside some of music's most seasoned veterans. This is surely a show you do not want to miss and for only $5, why would you?

The Smell is located at: 247 S. Main Street, DTLA. Doors at 9PM.
- Examiner

It’s rare for an album to skirt corniness on its way towards moving your soul: think the Beach Boys’ Smile, or Paul McCartney’s Ram. Though Moses Campbell’s debut makes use of Ram’s “same song, different approach, multiple times” technique, Moses Campbell is far zanier than a post-Beatles uke song—more like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah as covered by the Pogues, or the Polyphonic Spree on “Sesame Street” talking Kermit out of jumping off a rainbow. Glorious themes of teen suicide and tragic breakups abound, yet things never get too dark—there’s always a chiming glockenspiel or clean accordion line to cheer your soul, and a gang o’ boys to chant the choruses with you. This music feels so warm and participatory, even during the bleakest lyrics thrown at you. In fact, after listening to the album for weeks on end, I find myself craving a little more alone time with the words, and it’s the introspective album cuts I keep skipping ahead to—in particular, the Paul Baribeau-styled “Wallflower,” a second-person plea to a depressed shut-in genius. I also love the only track where multi-instrumentalist Daniela Jimenez gets a chance to sing and write: “Saturday”—a tender teen-love duet that nearly made this ol’ boy cry. But don’t want to cry? Don’t worry. Upbeat songs like “And It’s Over 2” and “Ugly” will stay in your rotation until crystalline brainwave signals put iPods out of business.

—Dan Collins

- LA Record

"Rambunctious. Moses Campbell mixes with the Smell crowd." - L.A. Times

"At the concert I attended on Oct. 16, there was a down to earth atmosphere between the musicians and the crowd - almost every band chose to mingle with the audience. When a relatively new band named Moses Campbell played, I remember the guitarist yelling out, "You know, you guys can move around a bit!" So we did. In fact we might have moved around too much, but that didn't stop the singer from coming down from the stage and rocking out with us too." - The Occidental Weekly

"I went downtown for a matinee show at The Smell this past weekend. For the most part I've gotten The Smell out of my system. Not that I ever frequented the venue too often to begin with, but I used to have a penchant for experimental and noisepunk bands and that tendency has more recently given way to a return to the 90's indie rock womb, which is certainly a bit more age-appropriate for His Bloggership. I'll always admire No Age, love The Mae Shi, and I don't think The Underground Railroad to Candyland will ever cease to be a blast, but its not an area of music I am especially drawn to these days.

Still, I am always inspired by the kids who hang out at The Smell. They don't know how good they have it. I went to a fairly progressive, open-minded arts magnet public high school and I still felt constrained to a strong degree about how much individuality I could express without suffering total social ostracization. But today with social networking sites, an internet that lets one customize culture to each her own, and a large urban environment filled with all kinds, the youth who populate The Smell truly have founded utopia. I'm sure they have the same old problems with zits, teachers, and the opposite sex; but the way in which they are able to explore, discover, and develop their own musical identites makes my little nerd heart flutter.

To that point, Moses Campbell was extremely impressive. The music on their myspace page sounds like chamber-indiepop unraveling itself on the bedroom floor, but live at The Smell they projected a much more garagey aspect. Lyrically Moses Campbell has very little to offer a guy like me (lots of self-loathing and anguished gnashing of teeth) but I was stunned by how advanced their compositions were for what appeared to be a relatively inexperienced band. The songs consistently made moves that surprised me. The accordion really sells the thing. Put their blip on your radar." - Classical Geek Theatre

"MOSES CAMPBELL, aspiring musicians from the Boardwalk with the innocent intensity of Jonathan Richman." -Gerry Fialka - 7 Dudley Cinema

"It's been a while that a band has been so nostalgic and original at the same time. Armed with a glockenspiel, accordion, violin, and an assortment of other instruments, Moses Campbell craft gentle pop ballads and serenades about living life, straight up. Sean, the lead 'vocal duties' has such a way with keeping it cordial but also keeping it real. These songs just hit home so well. I wish I had the chance to see them this morning but they will be back at The Smell on October 24th". - Stop Sleeping, Yo